Shine
by Lalenna
Summary: Set after 8x01...Greg tries to help Sara but maybe shes beyond his help...OS Unless I get ppl asking for more.


Title: Shine

Rating: PG

Summary: Set after 8x01...Greg tried to help Sara

A/N: I'm in the UK so I havent seen Season 8 yet (you ppl in the US get all the luck lol) so no spoilers as I dont know what happens. The Lyrics are from the song 'Shine' by Plain White T's I just thought it was a very Sara song and this is what I ended up with at 3am lol.

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Greg forced himself to open his eyes as his cell buzzed incessantly on his bedside table. Flipping it open with a mumbled 'hello' he eyed the luminous digits on his clock with malice. Great, five hrs sleep, and if this was the call he suspected it was he wasn't likely to get any more sleep before he was due on shirt again.

"Is this Greg Sanders?" A male voice asked over the yells for orders and a thumping baseline.

"Yeah, where is she?" Greg asked as he grabbed a pair of jeans and threw on th closest tee-shirt.

"Black Diamond, off West Street 3rd," The voice said giving Greg brief directions.

"I'll be there in ten minutes, can you keep her there?"

"Sure mate."

"Thanks." Greg said slamming the phone closed to let out a bit of his agression, wondering for the hundredth time why he was doing this.

Less than ten minutes later Greg was walking into the eighth seedy bar in as many nights, he nodded his thanks to the bartender as he headed towards the booth Sara was slumped in half conscious.

"Come on lets get you home," Greg said wrapping an arm around Sara's tiny waist. God how it was killing him to see her like this. Sara had been spiralling out of control since what happened in the desert and Greg no longer recognised the woman in his arms. She refused to talk about what had happened, wouldn't interact with anyone no matter how or who tried, she had put herself on a pure vodka diet that showed so clearly and refused to accept any help.

Before she had been taken, when she walked into the room his brain would just stop, every smile he got out of her had been a victory. Sara had been so beautiful to him, so smart and caring, eager to teach him and so much fun to be around. She had been his closest friend. Now she was an empty shell of the woman he had loved for so long in secret. Her skin almost deathly pale with sunken hollowed cheeks and eyes that had been bloodshot for days. She was unrecognisable. It was like she wanted to die, that she didn't realise just how lucky she was to be alive unlike so many of the victims that they had had to deal with in the past.

It had only been a mistake that Greg even knew this much about what was happening in her life. The day she had been saved she had told Grissom it was over and in the vodka fuelled haze that followed had tried to call him but had only managed to get as far as Greg's number in her phonebook. After that night she had decided to stick to her decision to stay away from Grissom and left the crime lab, instead of working she spent days and nights inside seedy places like the one he had just found her in. Greg had been in more bars the past few day than he would usually visit in six months.

"I'm sorry I'm a mess Greggo," Sara mumbled. The past few nights that apology had soothed him, tonight it feed the burning anger that wrapped around his stomach. He could no longer deal with this, as much as he wanted to help his friend this was not the way.

"I can't do this again Sara. It's not helping you and I cant deal with this anymore." Greg said softly as he pulled up outside Sara's apartment.

"What do you mean you won't help me?" Sara said raising her slightly slurred voice. Getting out of the car on unsteady legs she wobbled her way down the sidewalk behind Greg.

"This isn't helping you Sara. I'm not a taxi and I'm not going to help you drink yourself into an early grave. I'm sorry, I'm not doing this again." Greg said.

"Some friend you are," Sara sat at him with venom.

"I can't talk to you when you're like this. I'll call in later." Greg said moving away.

"Don't bother. I won't be here," Sara snapped before slamming the door in his face. Greg walked away dejected hoping it was the right thing to do.

Pulling up at Sara's before heading to the Crime Lab Greg felt his heart stop at the sight of the open apartment door. Rushing out and into the apartment Greg called Sara's name.

"Just get lost Sanders," Sara's voice came from her bedroom several econds before she emerged pulling a suitcase behind her.

"What's that?" Greg asked.

"And they made you a CSI why?" Sara shot back.

"You can't leave."

"Watch me." Sara said and headed out of the apartment door and towards the taxi that Greg hadn't noticed when he pulled up.

"Why are you doing this Sar?" Greg asked looking confused.

"You wont help me, I'll help myself."

"This isn't helping yourself, this is running away. Let me get you some proper help Sara." Greg pleaded.

"I can look after myself. I don't need Vegas, Grissom, or you." Sara turned to the driver. "That's it." Ignoring Greg, Sara opened the door ad slid into the cab.

"Please Sara." Greg begged.

Something flickered in Sara's eyes for a moment then faded. "Have a good life Greg." With that she closed the door and the cab moved off.

Greg knew running away wouldn't make anything better and only make Sara's chance of living the life he deserved even harder to reach. He could only pray that he wouldn't regret this day as much as she would.

You know it tears me up inside  
to see the feelings that you hide  
Hide inside that empty bottle  
I wish you saw how great you were  
I wish you saw what life was worth  
You wouldn't have to hide your problems  
And I don't care what you might think  
I think you've had too much to drink  
Can't even talk when you're this way

Run away, run away  
But that won't make it any better  
Run away, run away  
And make tomorrow harder to live than today

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A/N2 Reviews are adored and worshipped, especially after such a long break from writing lol. Also check out the CSI writing challege site I run - CSI Projects. Link is on my authors page. XxX


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